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Earlier this month Animal Fair threw a fashion show, Paws for Style, to benefit the Humane Society of New York, that was sponsored by Grey Goose Vodka and L'Oreal and featured a giant ice sculpture of a fire hydrant and a dog. The World Canine Freestyle Dance Organization opened the show, performing a kind of ballroom dancing between human and dog that club founder, Patie Ventre, vows to get into the Olympics. The runway showcased Pomeranians Pumpkin and Sugarplum and Papillon Marshmallow in custom-made outfits by J. Lo, along with other well-groomed dogs in outfits designed by Kate Spade, Vera Wang, Vivienne Tam and BCBG Max Azria. Gossip columnist Cindy Adams walked the runway with her Yorkies, Jazzy and Juicy. "My dogs have my car and driver take them to a play date, and I walk to the theater in the rain," she said, elaborating on her devotion to them. "Jazzy keeps me warm in the winter, and I don't have to be nice to any in-laws." Lawyer Edward Greenberg, who came to the event, said of his mixed breed, Carnie, "She's better than kids. No college to pay for."
J. Lo may be considering entering the dog-clothing business, but she is a bit late to the party. Burberry's has made headway with its collars and doggie trench coats, and the industry already has its own Guccis and Chanels sold in dog boutiques--not to mention its own supermodel, Moonie, who appeared in Legally Blond, travels with an entourage of two trainers and two stand-in dogs, and commands $1,500 a day. At Fifi & Romeo in Los Angeles, $172 cashmere dog sweaters hang on tiny wooden hangers next to $135 polka-dotted raincoats. The store also carries the Chic Doggie line, which includes a very popular $95 necklace of faux white pearls with a rhinestone ball.
At Dogmopolitan, a store in Newport Beach, Calif., miniature dog sofas range in price from $400 to $2,000. "Pet consumers will buy things for their pets before they buy for themselves," says co-owner Lex Gable. Dog furniture also includes the PetaPotty, a 34-in. square of grass with a drainage system that, for $230, plus $30 a month maintenance, allows your dog an indoor bathroom of his own. But real, full-size dog rooms are also being built. Sunrooms Plus of Albuquerque, N.M., is doing a significant portion of its business building additions for dogs, at about $20,000 per unit. And Pierre Deux, a black French poodle who lives in a condo in Indianapolis, Ind., has his own human-size, Paris-themed bathroom equipped with disposable diaper pads.
OPI Products, a human nail-care company, has expanded its market with Pawlish, a dog nail polish that has been tested on humans and, at $9.95 a bottle, comes in colors such as Yuppy Puppy ("a shiny silver for pampered pets") and Mutt's New ("purple glitter for the whole litter"). Pet therapists and masseuses charge as much as $75 an hour, and veterinarians offer dog acupuncture. Two weeks ago a defibrillator was even installed in a dog with heart problems.